Mental Flosshttp://mentalfloss.com/node/28315/atom.xml2015-03-03T18:53:51+00:00http://mentalfloss.com/article/28315/15-wonderful-words-no-english-equivalent2011-07-23T03:42:19+00:002011-07-23T15:14:44+00:0015 Wonderful Words With No English EquivalentBill DeMain

The Global Language Monitor estimates that there are currently 1,009,753 words in the English language. Despite this large lexicon, many nuances of human experience still leave us tongue-tied. And that’s why sometimes it’s necessary to turn to other languages to find le mot juste. Here are fifteen foreign words with no direct English equivalent.

1. Zhaghzhagh (Persian)
The chattering of teeth from the cold or from rage.

2. Yuputka (Ulwa)
A word made for walking in the woods at night, it’s the phantom sensation of something crawling on your skin.